Interviewing for a job is already stressful in itself. You do some research and prepare to talk about your skills and experience to effectively market yourself to your prospective employer, but when it comes time for the interview you might still be faced with unexpected curveballs.

Employees may require accommodation at work due to certain needs or protected grounds under the BC Human Rights Code, and employers have a duty to accommodate. However, misconceptions about workplace accommodations often stop people from getting the help they need. Addressing these myths can make it easier to understand your rights and responsibilities in Vancouver.

Employees in British Columbia are protected against discrimination. For those employed by organizations falling within federal labour jurisdiction, the Canadian Human Rights Act prevents discrimination or harassment based on race, age, sex, religion, sexual orientation or other protected grounds.

When British Columbia employers conduct job interviews, they must take care to avoid discriminatory inquiries. Broadly speaking, employers may not ask prospective employees questions about any of protected grounds under the BC Human Rights Code.

Nowadays, the world lives on social media. More and more people get their news from platforms like Facebook and Twitter than ever before. If you need to spread the word about an upcoming event or opportunity, utilizing social media seems like a logical place to start.

In a competitive environment, employers must often battle to ensure they have access to the best prospective candidates for an open position. They will frequently explore various distribution methods to cast a wide net in search of quality applicants.

Many workers' fear of losing their jobs may prevent them from filing human rights complaints at the BC Human Rights Tribunal against their employers when they encounter discrimination contrary to the protected grounds established under the BC Human Rights Code (the "Code").

Most employers in British Columbia know that human rights are not earned by employees -- instead, human rights are held by every person from birth. Regardless of an employee's level of education, skills or the position they hold, they have rights to equality, respect, dignity, and a right to not face any form of discrimination.

A 40-year-old marble mason in Vancouver suffered a work-related shoulder injury in 2015 for which WorkSafeBC granted him an award of permanent partial disability. Because his employer had no modified duties for him, he applied for assistance from the WorkSafeBC's vocational rehabilitation services department, which assists in finding alternative employment to accommodate the disabilities of such workers.

Under human rights legislation, including the British Columbia Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, employers must adjust workplace practices, policies and rules to allow full participation by all employees up to the point of undue hardship.

When an employee goes on leave for whatever reason and his or her work ethic has been less than exemplary, an employer can still fire the employee if there is just cause. Many employers are under the impression that they can't dismiss a worker on leave -- whether they're not working due to medical reasons, parental leave or for any other matter.